METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING A PACKAGE AND FORMING FOLDS OF THE WRAPPING SHEET ONTO THE TOP SURFACE OF THE PACKAGE

Abstract: A method to wrap a package (5) with substantially inelastic wrapper (2), such as paper, while keeping it in rotation about its upright axle during wrapping, and the wrapping is carried out around the package (5) with wrapper broader than the height of the package. By the method: wrapping is started by locking the wrapper (2) upper edge against the top surface of package (5); a supporting roller (12), articulated with bearings about its upright axle, presses the wrapper (2) during wrapping against the package; in the finishing stage of wrapping, a gummed cut-off edge (6) formed in the wrapper (2) is pressed against the package; upper edges (8, 9) of wrapper are folded onto the package by movable pressers (16, 17).

Description: Method and apparatus for wrapping a package and forming fo ld s of t h e wrapping sheet onto the top surface of the package. The invention relates to a wrapping method and necessary appa¬ ratus for utilization of the method in accordance with the introduction in patent claim 1. Previously is known a wrapping system by the EP publication No. 0 180 517, where wrapping is made with plastic film in rolls- Wrapping of a package is started from its top surface, whereby the system has devices by means of which the front end of the sheet is pressed onto the package and kept there. For wrapping the package, the sheeting has to be guided by special drivers down from the top surface and wound into a wrap-around pack sheeting. In the US-patent 3,507 089 a wrapping apparatus is published that carries out wrapping without rotating the object and with wrapping material broader than the package. Also the foldings of wrapper ends are made by the apparatus. Neither of the above presented solutions applicable in cases where paper is used as wrapper. In using paper it is not pos¬ sible to make a turn without tearing the paper, when must be folded from the package top surface in order to make a wrap¬ around cover. Anyhow, paper is not suitable for use in web form as package protecting wrapper. A solution according to the US- patent is not suitable for wrapping a package on a pallet. With the wrapping method and wrapping apparatus according to this invention a decisive improvement of the above presented wrapping methods is achieved and the invention is characterized in what is presented in the enclosed patent claims. The most important advantages of the invention can be considered the applicability of recycling wrapper, -such as paper, to mech¬ anical wrapping of packages, when the differenet stages of wrap¬ ping have been rearranged. Wrapping can be started without gum¬ ming the wrapper to the goods and the invention comprises the apparatus by means of which the wrapper is wound around the package with certain, appropriate tension. The number of wrap¬ arounds will amount only to a fraction of what is the case by using film sheeting, which means increased packing speed and one also gets rid of the heating phase. Protection of package top side is easily done with paper or similar materials, because they can be gummed, which is a problem with plastic wrappers, by the use of which the package top must be protected by some other means. In the following the invention is described in detail with re¬ ference to the enclosed drawing, where Fig. 1 is the start of the wrapping procedure. Fig. 2 is the wrapping around a package on pallet. Fig. 3 is the wrapping folded onto package. Fig. 4 is a wrapped package on pallet. Fig. 5 is the wrapping station viewed from above. Fig. 6 is the wrapper folding apparatus viewed from above. Figure 1 shows a wrapper roll 1 in upright position, a rectang¬ ular package 5 on a pallet 7 and wrapper 2 being fed out from roll 1. Wrapper 2 is broader than the height of package 5. Wrapping is started by folding the paper upper edge 4 onto package 5. In the upper edge an insicion is made, whereat fold 4 can be made separately. Fold 4 is pressed against package 5 by some known means, for instance a press descending to the top, whereby wrapping around the package can be started by rotating the pallet 7. From the start, wrapper 2 is in proper position with regard to the package and, with a rectangular package, even inelastic wrapper settles properly around the package. Rotation is continued in order to produce sufficient wrapper overlapping. The incision is not necessary, the upper edge can be also folded onto the package without an incision, whereby, however, some creasing cannot be avoided. In figure 2 the wrapper is cut off and on the wrapper inside, close to the cut edge, glue has been sprayed, seam 6 sealed and the package wrapped. Figure 3 shows the upper edges 8 of wrapper folded onto package 5 and in figure 4 the upper edges 9 are also folded onto the package. Glue can be used to fix the folds. Finally, with glue it is easy to fix, for instance, a separate paper cover or simi¬ lar on the package. Figures 1-4 show the embodiment of the wrapping procedure with inelastic wrapper and using one wrapper roll 1, but the actual wrapping apparatus is not shown in the figures. Figure 5 shows a wrapping station viewed from above, where there are two wrapping machines 10, a revolving platform 14 and con¬ veying rails 11, along which package 5 is conveyed on its own pallet to and from the station. The revolving platform 14 is also furnished with rollers for package conveyance. The wrapping machines 10 have suspenders for wrapper roll 1, a rail along which wrapper 2 is conveyed to the target, wrapper 2 cut-off apparatus 20, glue spraying apoaratus 19 and adjusters to control the tension of wrapper, whii moving on the rail. The wrapping machines, themselves, can also be shifted sideways according to the package size. On special guides 13, there are press roller systems 12 comprised of two parallel upright rol¬ lers, which are made rotatable by bearings and the body of the rollers is articulated to revolve also about its upright axle. With the rollers the wrapper 2 is pressed against the rotating package. The rollers on guides 13 are reversing and pushed for¬ ward due to the changing reach range of package outer surface. One tries to keep the pressing force constant. By means of two parallel rollers the pressing function is made more stable when the rollers are passing a package corner. Naturally, there can also be a single roller only and in the roller or one of the rollers a certain braking effect can be adjusted, by means of which it is possible to affect the wrapper tension. The wrapper cutoff apparatus 21 is most advantageously a vertically movable rotating blade. The glue spraying apparatus 19 is most advant¬ ageously a nozzle applying hot-setting adhesive in doses. For holding the wrapper there is a suction rod 21, which by means of low pressure sticks to the paper and holds it from the end near the cut edge. When using two wrapping machines 10, different kinds of wrappers can be wrapped simultaneously one upon another, or different kinds of wrapper can be wrapped alternately one upon another around the package. It is advantageous to make such kind of wrapping machines which can be adjusted to handle wrappers of different widths. Figure 6 shows a wrapper folding apparatus viewed from above, which has a frame 15 that can be positioned above the package. To the frame 15 pressing rollers 17 are fixed face to face in pairs. In the first stage the rollers press the wrapper edges onto the package 8 as shown in figure 3. According to the pack¬ age size, the rollers 17 are rolled a certain distance. In order to get the wrapper 2 controllably folded, there are, connected to rollers 17, uprigt rollers 18 that press against the package surface simulataneously. By rolling the rollers 17 and 18 the wrapper upper edge is folded accurately onto the package. The rollers are vertically adjustable with guides 22 according to the package height, and the distance of the face to face rollers pairs can also be adjusted according to the variation of the package outer dimensions. Further, there is another pair of face to face rollers 16 in the frame, which carry out the wrapper edge 9 folding according to figure 4. The rollers 16 are moved against each other, whereat the the wrapper edge becomes folded. A glue spraying device can be connected to the apparatus, by means of which e.g. the last folded wrapper edges can be gummed to the wrapper underneath. Although the pressers have been illustrated in figure 6 as ro¬ tating rollers, they can also be flat parts, by means of which the pressing and folding of wrapper edges 8,9 is carried out. Anyhow, the invention is presented with reference to one advant- ageous embodiment only, while many modifications are possible within the inventional concept determined in the patent claims.

Claims: PATENT CLAIMS 1. A method to wrap an angular object (5), such as a package, with substantially inelastic wrapper (2), such as paper, while keeping the object in rotation about its upright axle during wrapping, and the wrapping around the object is carried out with wrapper broader than the height of the object and the object (5) to be wrapped is on a pallet (14), which is mainly boarded by the wrapper lower edge, characterized in that by the method - wrapping is started by locking the wrapper (2) upper edge against the top surface of object (5), - a supporting roller (12), articulated with bearings about its upright axle, presses the wrapper (2) dur¬ ing wrapping against the object, - in the finishing stage of wrapping, a gummed cut-off edge (6) formed in wrapper (2) is pressed against the surface of object, - upper edges (8,9) of wrapper are folded onto the object by movable pressers (16,17). 2. A method according to patent claim 1 characterized in that the width of wrapper (2) fed from the wrapping apparatus (10) is changed according to the height of the object. 3. A method according to patent claims 1 and 2 characterized in that wrapping is carried out using several wrapping apparatuses (10) and feeding the corresponding wrappers (2) siraultaneoulsy one upon another around the object. 4. A method according to patent claims 1 and 2 characterized in that wrapping is carried out using several wrapping apparatuses (10) and feeding the corresponding wrappers (2) alternately one upon another around the object. 5. A wrapping apparatus for application of the method according to patent claim 1, which has a horizontally revolving platform (14) for the package incl. pallet (5,7) and feeding and cut-off apparatuses (20) for paper or similar material, characterized in that the apparatus also comprises a presser to fold the wrapper upper edge (4) onto the object top surface, a movable roller/ roller system (12) to press wrapper (2) during wrapping against the object, apparatuses (19) to feed adhesive to the wrapper and apparatuses (16,17) to fold the wrapper upper edge (8,9). 6. A wrapping apparatus according to patent claim 5 character¬ ized in that the roller system (12) pressing the wrapper against the object is formed of two rollers, the joint body of which is articulated to revolve about its upright axle, and that there are special guides (13) to the roller system (12), supported on which the system is fitted to move towards the object or vice versa while the reach range of object outer surface is changing during rotation. 7. A wrapping apparatus according to patent claims 5 and 6 cha¬ racterized in that the wrapper upper edge folding device has a frame (15) furnished with two pairs of face to face arranged pressers (16) or presser pairs (17), the mutual distances of whose opposite pairs are adjustable according to the size of the object and the play of which pressers covers substantially the wrapper fold around the upper edge of object. 8. A wrapping apparatus according to any of the patent claims 5 - 7 characterized in that the pressers are rotating rollers (16,17) . 9. A wrapping apparatus according to any of the patent claims 5 - 7 characterized in that the pressers are flat sheets. 10. A wrapping apparatus according to any of the patent claims 5 - 9 characterized in that connected to rollers (17) or pres¬ sers there are rollers/rolls (18) pressing the wrapper against the object outer surface. 11. A wrapping apparatus according to any of the patent claims 5 - 10 characterized in that connected to rollers (17) or pres¬ sers there glue spraying devices.

Inventors: AIROLA HEIKKI, RAUHALA JUHANI, AIROLA, HEIKKI, RAUHALA, JUHANI
Applicants: AIROLA HEIKKI, RAUHALA JUHANI, VESME SYSTEMS OY, AIROLA, HEIKKI, RAUHALA, JUHANI
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B65B11
IPC codes: B65B11